Classics
by MemoriesOfVoxei
Summary: A compilation of one-shots, where each is an adaptation of popular classical stories with FMA character. Edward and Roy often plays the main characters. Second adaptation published: THE LADY AND THE TRAMP! WARNING shonen ai... Please R
1. Cinderella

**Okay, first of all, thank you for clicking on this story. Next, I wish to warn you that this is my first FMA fanfiction EVER, so please be considerate. Then, well... This fic will be a compilation of one-shots, all classic stories, like Cinderella (which is exactly this first chapter), with FMA characters. There will be mostly shounen ai/yaoi, but nothing explicit. I hope you will like it! And in the end...**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST TT_TT**

* * *

**CLASSICS**

_**Cinderella**_

He was scrubbing the floor as hard and fast as he could. His arm hurt from the intensity of it, but he paid the pain no mind. Distractions would only slow him down, and slowing down meant having a bad chat with the witch. Which he definitely didn't want to happen. He'd be much happier if he didn't have to see her face for the rest of the day. Yes, that would be great. The woman, a fool in his eyes, for marrying his father, wasn't much worse than her children. Russel was a jerk, a total jerk. His brows furrowed in frustration. Why did he have to do this anyway? He'd do anything to leave this upside-down family, even joining the military.

Actually, the military was the best option there was. He was still underage, so his parents had all the authority over him. That meant he couldn't just walk out the door and make a life for himself. Even if he could, he had no money and no acquaintances that would help him get out of this situation. The military, though, would allow him to become totally independent from his father and his step-mother. Being a soldier made you a dog of the government, so only the state had the right to order you around, and your parents' opinions where discarded instantly. Also, he would be offered shelter and he would be paid for his services. Yep, definitely the best course of action.

However, it wasn't this easy. He couldn't just walk out and request to be made soldier. The country weren't in need of men for the moment, so it would be totally pointless to apply. It's not like Izumi would allow him to just do that anyway.

"Edward!" With a sigh, the teen pulled himself up and brushed the non-existent dust off his baggy pants. They smelled like old rags and no matter how many times he watched them it wouldn't let go of the used fabric. He headed for the master bedroom where he knew he would find his step-mother per usual, and drop back to his knees in front of it before knocking on the closed door. When the door opened, he was met with a scowl and angry eyes, but as it was a normal occurrence, Edward didn't flinch. He only stared at her, discarding any bad emotions that started to well as her face printed in his mind. He hated her. A lot.

"Did you finish the laundry?" Ed noted her happy aura as she walked back inside the room with light steps, probably not even thinking of the matter at hands.

"Yes," came his simple answer. That's the only thing she wanted to hear. Details were not needed.

"Did you clean the boys' room?" Her voice got slightly muffled as she fumble through her clothes hung in the walk-in wardrobe.

"Yes."

"Did you placed the books where they belong?" She placed a long blue dress on her bed before going back in the walk-in.

"Yes."

"Did you water the inside plants?" She tossed another one, shorter and with less fluffs, red with color.

"Yes."

"What about the dishes?" She tapped her chin with her thin finger a few seconds before turning back to the wardrobe.

"All done."

"And the garden?" She looked another time through all of the high-quality dresses she had.

"All done."

"I hope you didn't forget the living room." She stepped back with yet another dress in hands.

"All done."

"This one surely is pretty." She put it aside the two others and eyed them carefully. "Did you wash the kitchen floors?" Sweat began to form on Ed's brow. That's what he had been doing before she headed back home, and by being called to report, he had had to leave the work undone. He gulped in what he hoped was silence, and was rewarded when he saw no reaction from Izumi. She looked lost in her thoughts, having to choose between the three dresses in front of her. Maybe she wouldn't notice, like she sometimes did. If he stayed silent, she might simply forget about him. "Well?" His breath caught in his lungs as a shiver ran through his whole body like an electric shock.

"I'm not finished yet, ma'am." She turned toward him abruptly, her eyes looking like an owl's searching for a prey as they fell on him. They narrowed dangerously as she came up with a decision.

"Well, then, you better finish tonight. The kitchen's floor _and_ the whole second and third floor. Do not enter in our offices, especially not your father's." With only that, Ed was highly glad she was in a good mood. It could have been much worse than that. "And, no diner tonight. I'm heading out with a friend of mine. I expect everything done when I come back." _Fuckfriend_, Ed couldn't hep but think bitterly. They were both hypocrites, her and Hohenheim. They were married, still, the teen suspected that Izumi's activities with her... _friends_, as she put it, were complete adultery. And he didn't suspect his father of anything less. Gone away from here for months, there was no doubt he would need to have fun for himself once in a while, wouldn't he? Well, it's not like it really mattered. "Do you understand? Don't make me repeat myself." He would never dream of it. Only hearing her voice managed to enrage him.

"I do." He hissed between his clenched teeth, hoping to keep his feelings at bay.

"Good. Then off to work you go." She sung with a bit too much of happiness to Ed's liking before closing the door at his face.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

The floor had been swept clean with carefulness and haste. His job was done, and Edward knew his step-mother wouldn't bash at him. Unless, of course, Russel decided to put the blame on him for something he never did, just like the vase that had been broken a few days ago and had learned him a good word bashing and body beating. He didn't complain though – he couldn't. Sure, he tried several times when he was younger, but he soon learned that all it did was make matters worse.

The teen perked up as soon as he heard his step-mother come in the three story house, and proceeded to hide his training equipment – things that he either found in the abandoned attic or made for himself – with a speed that he never knew he could have. If Izumi found out about his body building training, he would pass a really awful time with her screaming at him. He silently reached for the door of his room, listening intently as his half-brother came to meet the master of the house to welcome her back. He heard them talk leisurely, and what disturbed him most of all, was the trace of love that the woman held in her voice as she greeted her son. It made him long for his own mother.

"I'm back, Russel. Did you have a good day at the academy today?" A muffled sound came from the older boy which Ed could only think of as a yes. "Good. I heard you had great grades again. However," and her voice dropped to a more serious tone, "this won't suffice. It seems that results are not enough for the military to give you a proper grading. For you to start as at least a major, you will need connection." Lucky bastard. Not even did he get Izumi's support to reach a goal Ed always wanted, but he also had to find a way to cheat to get a promotion faster. Acquaintances... The one thing that the teen desperately need to free himself of this place.

"Don't worry though, my dear, everything will be fine. I'm sure of it. Actually, our house has been invited to a ball, one month from now. It seems high military officers will also be attending, so perhaps you could make a few friends there, don't you think so?" Ed's brain started working right there, muting his brother's answers out instantly. A ball with high military officers. The perfect chance for getting himself a job. The perfect chance to gain freedom. A month from now. Before he even registered it, he was ready to prepare to make a path for himself. He was going to go there, and he was going to go alone. Izumi wouldn't approve, so it was no use pleading with her. No. The best course of action, here, would be to plan everything himself, feign ignorance, then leave shortly after his sibling. That could work.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

Russel had come back from the academy earlier this day, and with Fletcher following him with difficulties, he entered the house where he was supposed to find his filthy older brother doing the cleaning, as he should be. Much to his pleasure, he found the long blond haired teen kneeling on the ground of the younger's bedroom, trying to clean a bad ink stain on the wooden floor. The tall teenager deliberately dropped it to make Ed's life more hellish, and he found it quite amusing. He hated him.

His half-brother was a prodigy. He learned really fast, and he learned it all by himself. When he was younger, he had often been caught in their father's study reading the advanced book the man possessed. Izumi never liked it. After all, he was only filth, born in the countryside and of a poor woman. Russel couldn't understand why Hohenheim's eyes would go soft each time he laid them on his eldest son. At first he thought it was pity – after all, he was a low-life – but he soon noticed it was love. Hohenheim loved Edward. He loved him as his own soon, and not like some stupid woman's mistake. And it angered him. Because Edward has never done anything to deserve such affection. On the contrary, he, a pure blood noble, made out of his mother's and father's union, only received a unfeeling glare when he tried to make him proud by having good results. What had he done to merit such coldness?

Although he hated him, Russel knew a lot about Edward. He hated being called short, for one. And he hated to live as a slave. He loved the color red. He definitely hated his other siblings, himself more particularly. The tall teen knew that his half-brother wanted to get into the military – like, really bad – and an idea suddenly popped up in his mind.

"Hey, pipsqueak." That earned him an angry glare, but the long haired boy didn't react more than this. Maybe he was in a good mood? What for? "You having fun?" Ignored. Well, not anything new here. "You know, I'll be going to this fabulous ball in three weeks. It's going to be the best opportunity of my life." Not even a look. Damn. "Who knows, I might actually just get the job. You know? The one you always wanted? Well, maybe you could come too... you just have to ask my mother." Yes, that should do it. As usual, the golden orbs went straight for his blue ones, and he could see... indifference? What? That definitely was new.

"Well, maybe you could say hello for me. Who knows, maybe someone will notice your stupidity and sends you home as an incompetent fool. Not like it will change anything for me anyway." The older teen stood up and left the room, completely unfazed by the provocation. Something was wrong here. There was definitely something up with Edward. He was happy and indifferent... Another thing he knew about his half-brother; he had a weakness for Fletcher's naivety.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

"What are you doing?" Ed jumped ten feet in the air at young Fletcher's voice. The boy was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder to see what the teen was doing, a look of pure curiosity painted on his face. Edward didn't hear him enter, which was weird since he was on high alert, especially now that he was doing something so... highly unapproved by his step-mother.

"I'm sewing." Indeed, the long haired boy was holding a piece of black cloth and working on it with a needle he had stolen from Izumi. It wasn't anything new, though. He often sewed to repair his own clothes or making himself new ones. They weren't top shape, that's for sure, but he didn't mind.

"Again?" Yes, Fletcher knew a lot he shouldn't be knowing. He actually often came up in his older brother's room to chat and play with him, and Ed seemed to have taken a liking to him. He would let him know of some things, secrets, that he wasn't supposed to tell anyone. And he never did, because he liked Edward and he wanted to continue playing with him.

"Yes, but it's different this time," he said with a smirk, a smirk that the boy decided he liked, a lot. "After all, it's for a great event."

"Is it the ball my brother keeps talking about? Are you going to get a job too?" Heh, if only he knew...

"Yes... but you're not repeating that to anyone, alright? I'm making myself a suit, so I can be presentable." A bit of excitation perked up in the younger boy's eyes at the prospect of seeing Edward as pretty as his brother in a suit. Although the used cloth in the teen hands wouldn't give much of a good presentation, he knew Ed would catch several eyes just by his presence. After all, who could look away from these golden eyes? Not him, that was for sure.

"Then, you'll get a job like my brother? And have money? And buy more pretty clothes? I know! You could buy me new toys!" The youth was jumping with enthusiasm all around the room.

"Sure Fletcher, my pleasure!" Edward made imitating his brother's ridicule bow. The boy giggled and ran out of the room, yelling that Izumi would be there soon.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

"So, what did he tell you?" Russel asked as he tied carefully his tie around his neck. His academy attire was impeccable, that he made sure of; after all, he had to be the most perfect student out there, so he could get a good rank.

"He said he was going to the ball too. He's secretly making his own gown, but he asked me not to tell you."

"You did well by telling me, little brother." The older ruffled Fletcher's dirty blond hair affectionately, offering him a warm smile. "Just keep watching over him, everything's going to be just fine." That last part was a low whisper, mostly to himself. Actually, he was planning a wonderful entertainment, the best he could have before heading to the party.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

All the preparations were on the run. His suit was almost finished, and he was currently thinking of a way to get one of those rare baths he desperately needed. Izumi was getting ready in her own room, talking to herself in a sweet manner, practicing whatever she planned on saying to other nobles to get in their good favors. Russel was helping Fletcher with his hair, and Ed couldn't help but hope the other teen would get a few reprimands from military officer.

Finally, today was the day. He would walk in there, make himself known, get a job, and fucking get out of here already! He really couldn't wait, but... right now he had to keep his feelings his check so his step-mother wouldn't get too suspicious.

"Edward!" Ugh! Why wouldn't she just leave him alone? He had other things to do! However, to avoid getting unwanted doubts, he went to Izumi's room and knelt before knocking. "We'll be heading out in a few, and you better do your chores accordingly to what I told you this morning! No excuses! I want to come back here tonight and see everything done, is that clear?" Her voice was strict as usual, but it didn't faze the teen. If only she knew...

"It is."

"Perfect."

Before starting on his chores, he headed for the bath and cleaned his dirty body. When he stepped out, the water was gray. He secretly passed by Izumi's bedroom to fetch her hairbrush while she made some last minute arrangements on her sons, then fled of to his own room. There, he brushed his golden bangs carefully but with haste, scared of being caught in the act. All that was left now was to get dress, and head off to the ball!

However, as he opened his wardrobe, all he saw was a ripped piece of cloth. He instantly knew what the fabric previously had been, and all his hopes came crashing down on him. Now there was no way he could go there... He couldn't steal any of Russel's suits, since he was much taller than him and none of them would fit. There was no way he could repair his gown, given that it took him three weeks to actually make it.

* * *

The guests kept coming one after another. Noble couples came to meet old acquaintances, young ladies came to meet the man of their life, young men came to get a reputation, military officers came to represent the state, and the host, the royal family, came to find a princess for their prince. A prince quite the lady-killer actually. Just a small smile and he could charm a huge majority of them. Still, he didn't care about all of that. Sure, it was good to have a little fun once in a while, but he wasn't interested in a steady relationship. He had better things to do. For instance, he had a job to do. Being a General in the army isn't just fun and games. Far from it. He had loads of responsibilities to take care of, and being present at this ball was not part of it.

Nothing really surprised him in such occasions. Women would try to win his heart, which of course never worked, and other military officers tried to become his "friend", which also never worked. Well, he did still have a few friends – real friends – within the military, and some of them were his guests for the night. He was chatting casually with a redhead, having fun playing with the lady's heart, when Hughes came up to him and started a random tirade about his wife and future child. Nothing surprising here. When the man with the glasses noticed he was being ignored in favour of nails, he sighed and turned to talk to someone else, standing behind him.

"Anyway, General," Hughes started, having become more serious, "I'd like to introduce you to a new friend of mine. It seems he'd be interested in becoming a dog of the state, and since you were looking for another crew member, I thought maybe you would be interested in recruiting him." He stepped aside, letting the other guest walk up to him, and Mustang's breath caught in his lungs. An angel. The boy – no, man – was wearing the most elegant black suit ever. The younger man's skin was pale and his long lashes made his eyes the more beautiful. No, wait, that wasn't right. His eyes were pureness itself, by the simple fact of the gold that coloured them and the life, hope and warmth that lived within their depths. Also, his long blond hair, pulled in a ponytail, looked silky and made the prince want to glide his fingers between the sunshine strands. This man. Was. Handsome. There was no denying that. A confident grin spread across the guest's face as he looked directly into the black orbs of the General.

"It's nice to meet you in person. Sir Hughes told me a bit about you, General Mustang." Roy quirked an eyebrow at that; didn't he know he actually was the prince? And it looked like he had never heard of him before his friend informed him of his existence. This was definitely not a normal occurrence.

"And who would you be?" He highly hoped the man was just another selfish noble, or else he might fall in love with him – wait, maybe he already did – and jump him on the spot. A smirk grew on the angel's face after a few seconds of contemplating the scenery behind the prince's back, before he turned away and walked to a balcony, ignoring the question.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

A General. Surely he couldn't be this lucky. As if to confirm his doubts, Edward saw Izumi look at him from behind Mustang's back, a few feet away. The woman narrowed her eyes, and the teen feared she would recognized him. He did the only thing that passed through his mind; h walked away.

Here, his step-mother wouldn't find him unless she invaded his personal space. He stood on the front balcony of the mansion, arms resting on the rails as his gaze was turned on the dark lake shining with the stars' reflection. How could he have reacted that way? Sure, now he was safe, as in he wouldn't get found out by Izumi, but he had voluntarily walked away of the biggest chance he had of gaining his freedom. This night didn't bode well.

Edward startled when fingers ran through his hair, and he turned sharply only to get lost into darkness. A warm black embrace, and sincerity hidden deep withing the exotic eyes that fell on him like a lion waiting the right moment to jump on its prey. He didn't know how much time passed, only staring at the General, but he was brought back to reality when the man quirked one of his eyebrow questioningly. Only then did he notice the hands on his. He instinctively retracted his right arm, hugging it to his chest with the other.

"What happened?" Th voice was soft and velvety, strangely comforting. The teen hunched his shoulder on himself, wanting to hide in the scenery of the night. He nly felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, silently encouraging him to tell his story.

... What was there to lose anyway?

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

Roy followed Ed out on the balcony, and after a while of waiting for the man to turn around, he couldn't help himself to slide his fingers int he long hair. Silky, just like he thought. They felt even better than a woman's. He was slightly surprised when the angel turned around abruptly, but otherwise he stayed unmoving. Until he noticed the golden eyes lost in his, completely ignoring the world around them. He took the occasion to subtly grab the younger's hands, noticing how the right one felt oddly hard and cold.

The golden eyes widened in comprehension before the angel turned around, hiding his hand. As he tried to stop him from moving, Roy found himself with a single white glove between his fingers; the right one.

"What happened?" He whispered, wanting the man to trust him. After a while of silence, in which the angel's shoulders dropped a bit, golden orbs looked up at him once again, and he started telling his tale.

* * *

Trisha was sitting on the front of the carriage, reining the two horses pulling them through the dirt of the road. She and her two sons were on their way to Pinako's, an old friend of the boys' father's, for a mid-summer vacation. The children were good friends with the young Winry, grand-daughter of Pinako; Trisha even suspected that her younger son, Alphonse, took a big liking to her and secretly hoped they would eventually, you know, become a couple.

No one expected this to happen. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly on the family while the wind softly blew in the mother's long auburn hair. Edward and Alphonse were sleeping soundly in the back of the carriage, completely exhausted from their three days long of playing outside in the fine weather. The two brown horses were trotting freely, following the human's instruction whenever she let them know of a new direction or speed. However, none of them expected the dog to jump out of the wheat field on their right to run after a flight of birds.

Both of the creatures went in panic mode, reacting violently to the sudden apparition of the canine. They started galloping to their maximum speed, pulling the carriage behind them. The children woke up to the change of rhythm. Edward didn't remember much from there. The world shook and spun for a long while until everything came to a stop mere seconds later, a loud boom resonating in the silent world. He remembered waking up, though he didn't when precisely he had lost consciousness, only to find a puddle of blood among the rumbles of the once elegant carriage.

There, right in front of his very eyes, laid his mother. Her eyes were looking straight at him, glazed over as if she was blind, while her mouth opened and closed like a fish's, though no sound escaped the blue lips.

"Mother?" He called, needing comfort from the only one who had shown him love all his life. At her son's voice, Trisha's eyes widened a bit, before she lifted her arm to reach out to the child.

"Ed..." The word was far from loud, still the youth heard it as clear as can be. Blood spluttered from her open mouth, her hand dropping back on the ground and her last breath leaving her body. She was dead. Dead.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

When Ed woke up after that, he was at the hospital. It didn't take long for him to notice his missing limbs, and he panicked. He wanted to see his little brother, he wanted to see his mother, he wanted to be sure they were safe, he wanted to hope this was all a nightmare. But the pain in his right arm and left leg burned the truth onto his soul; it really happened, his mother was really dead. However, he did not mourn. He still had one thing to do, an important thing to do. Al.

For the first few days, he was refused any sort of physical activity. He couldn't even get up to go to the restroom. Yet, he finally was able to see his little brother when they had judged his injuries stable. He would never forget that moment.

First came absolute happiness. His brother was in the hospital bed, in the room next to his own, and he was breathing, and moving, and _living_. Relief came crashing down on Edward as he watched his little sibling play with car toys on the ground next to his bed. He seemed totally unaffected by the accident. The nurse beside the older boy put a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention.

"He hit his head really hard," she explained, a shadow of a smile gracing her lips. Yet, her eyes felt empty.

Then came comprehension. His little brother hit his head and couldn't remember the accident. It might actually be a good thing. That way he wouldn't have to feel the pain and fear that it brought upon them. And the lost. Sure it would still hurt him, to know their mother was dead and all, but at least he wouldn't have _felt_ it the way Edward did. Seeing that last violent release of breath was not something he wished for Alphonse. The small boy looked up at the taller blond in the wheelchair, eyes filled with life and happiness.

"Who are you?" Al asked.

Then came realization. Alphonse couldn't just remember the accident, but everything. For the child, Edward was now a complete stranger. His own little brother didn't know him anymore. Fine, Ed decided. I'll either make him remember and allow him to make new memories with me, as brothers.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

Their father never came to fetch them. The boys stayed in the hospital for two months, before their aunt Pinako came to pick them up _because their father didn't_. That simple fact stayed on Edward's mind. Their father had abandoned them. Starting there, the golden haired boy started hating him; Hohenheim. The worst man ever. Instead, Pinako took them in, and eventually fitted Edward with automail because he insisted that he needed them.

Edward was really intent on making Al remember and/or making new memories with him. They visited their old house, now completely recovered in dust, played old games they played when younger, sung the lullaby their mother used to sing them, look at every family picture they had, etc. However, over the years, the came to a disastrous conclusion.

Alphonse would be a child forever. When they reached their preadolescence, Alphonse was still acting like a six years old. He would never be independent, would never work, would never marry, have children, have a life of his own. It shocked Ed, but he had to accept it. Because it was his brother, the only family he had left.

* * *

Tears silently glided down Edward's cheeks, his gold orbs staring at his feet. It was still painful, the whole accident and everything that came after, his father re-marrying, obliging him to move in with him and his new wife, Izumi, and leaving Al behind with Pinako. A huge ball caught in his throat, and all he wanted to do was cry out in pain; mourn. Something he, now that he thought about it, never did. How come he felt so much trust in this man? So much trust that he'd openly cry in his arms, the raven-haired general holding him close to his chest in an attempt to comfort him... The tall man must think he was so pitiable and weak right now, surely he would never want to hire him.

Yet, when Ed lifted up his head to look at Mustang, he couldn't even force himself to care. He lost himself in those dark depths again, forgetting about the whole world, forgetting about his past, his present, his unstable future, everything. Only the man in front of him, smelling of fire; _warmth and love_. And those lips, hesitantly lowering to meet his, fearing rejection and hoping acceptance, and affection, and love, and happiness.

But the bell chimed. It chimed midnight. And midnight was Edward's limit time. The teen remembered suddenly the strange encounter with his aunt in the mansion's garden. She had provided him – magically, he recalled – with a brand new carriage, with four black horses dress in armor as if going to war, an armed soldier to guide them through the town and a blond child surprisingly looking like young Alphonse as a valet. Pinako had also turned him into the most handsome young man there is by giving him something elegant to wear, without being too flashy. He was perfect for the ball.

"However," she had warned him before he went, "good things do not last forever." Midnight was the limit time. Everything would turn back to normal, and he would be left as a dirty slave in front of his only chance of being free.

His instincts told him to run, and he did.

* * *

Izumi rushed to her son's bedroom, waking him up harshly. He moaned in his half-asleep state before covering his head with the comforter.

"Get up, Russel! Hurry and get dressed! The grand duke is coming along with the prince!" Edward walked in right then, with a breakfast plate in arms for his brother. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but it seemed urgent, and he surely didn't want to have Izumi's rage flying at him for being too slow this morning.

"What for?" The sleepy teen asked, fighting to stay awake. Edward deposed the breakfast plate on the bedside table before picking up every dirty clothes that had been discarded on the floor the previous night. They reeked of alcohol.

"He's going to interview every young man who went to the ball yesterday. Apparently, he wants to hire a man for his team; a single one. You better make yourself presentable, because General Mustang is not one to take insubordination."

Ed dropped the clothes basket. Roy Mustang. The General he had met the night before and with whom spent an emotion-filled time. _The Prince!?_ No way. That was impossible. The prince was a skirt chaser, an arrogant fool who lived on his father's fortune, a selfish bastard who passed his days flirting and having fun. Not a handsome soldier seemingly gay and interested in having an adventure with a young nameless teen. Surely he had misheard something.

"What's wrong with him?" Russel asked as he stared at Edward with raised eyebrows. Edward couldn't reply anything, still in shock of the discovery. "Anyway," he continued, "please hurry up with the laundry, and help me prepare. Today is a really important day, after all." He got up of bed, but Ed only stared ahead. Then the words started clicking in his head, and he knew he had to do something. He had to prepare. After all, the prince was coming. Roy Mustang was going to meet with him. His liberty was coming back to free him.

The teen completely ignored his tasks and headed straight for his room on the second floor. He hummed happily while he brushed his hair and pulled them in a ponytail. He had to look presentable; even if he was dressed in old rags, he still had a sens of fashion. And that's when he heard an awfully familiar click. The click that was made by a door locking. He rushed by the door with desperation and saw Izumi smile darkly at the closed door from the whole in the wooden plank. He called out to her, screamed at her to unlock his door and let him out. He cried out in hurt, because it was his only chance and his step-mother decided to rob him of it. Without this, he had nothing left.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

The teen was rather boring, like all of them. He was stuck up with etiquette, following the school's methods in every way and keeping the attitude of nobles. Well, nobles were boring, and school was boring. They believed in things that were absolutely plastic, and thus had no personality whatsoever. Truly boring. Strangely, he felt like the teen – no, the man – he had met at the ball was only a result of too much drinking. Maybe it had only been a dream? However, he still had the white glove, the one that had been completely forgotten after the hurtful tale of the youngster.

Russel Curtis, the young noble he had been interviewing, finished his tale of loyalty and duties, and Roy didn't miss the chance to get up and out of this stuffing place.

"It was good meeting you, Russel." He bowed his head slightly, not even bothering with a handshake, and did the same with the mother, who stared at him with such coldness it left the prince indifferent. "Now, if you don't mind –" He was interrupted by a loud sound coming from upstairs, and it wasn't long before a familiar face rushed down to the entrance hall.

"Wait!" He called out, almost missing a step and falling flat out on his face. Keyword: almost. Strong arms reached out and grabbed his arm to steady the teen – the man, Roy reminded himself. The prince knew instantly this was the one who was looking for. After all, the arm he was holding tightly was the blonde's right. And it was hard as rock, or in this case, as metal.

"Who is this young man?" The grand duke asked, still standing by the door. "I thought you said there was only one here." The old-looking noble looked at Izumi harshly. She could only scowl back, having absolutely no good reason to have kept it a secret. After all, she WAS legally the boy's mother.

"General," Edward straighten himself up, taking a step away from Roy to keep a reasonable distance between them, "I'm sorry for my late introduction. My name is Edward Elric, son of Van Hoheinheim and Trisha Elric. Please accept my apologize for my sudden escape at the ball."

Then surprising everyone in the house, except for Ed, was the smirk that appeared on Mustang's face. A smirk. The prince was smirking.

"It's not problem, Fullmetal." Ed raised a questioning eyebrow. "This shall be your title starting from now. I chose it personally. I hope you like it, because there's no way I'll ever change it." It clicked instantly in Ed's mind, and he smirk back at the prince, a fire lighting his golden eyes. Determination. Happiness. Hope. Life. Freedom. And love. "Let's go then." Roy stated as he turned around to walk out of the suffocating house.

"Wait," Izumi called coldly. The situation just seemed to have sunk in her skull, and she took a few steps forward to prove her point. "I am still his mother, whether he liked it or not. And as his mother, I forbid him from joining the military. He has other things to do, to focus on." Ed walked right in front of her, smirk widening to become mocking, and he replied with a voice full of glory and pride, because he had _won_. He was free.

"Oh, but I am now a dog of the military, dear mother, and if the state desires me to disobey you, dear mother, I will gladly do so." His golden orbs stared deep into her eyes, without fear or hesitation. She could only stay still in shock.

"This is your first order then, Fullmetal." And Ed followed Roy outside the door, not looking back at this sick family.

~ _CLASSICS_ ~

Once finally alone in the back of the carriage, the grand duke up front to guide the horses back to the palace, Edward Elric and Roy Mustang gazed at each other with the deepest respect for the other that was possible. And love. Yes, always love. Then Edward started laughing loudly, freely. It was the only real laugh he ever had since he left the countryside. Since he had become a slave. But there was something more to it, and the message those lips held were delivered with success as they fell onto the older man's own in a heated kiss.

And they lived happily ever after.

**So, I guess you already know what I want right? Yes, you do. And you want to do it too, don't you? Please leave a review and let ME know what YOU thought of this story. I thought it was a good idea to use the fairy tales and make a FMA version out of them. It's only a test though, and I want to know what you think of it. If at least 10 people review positively, I'll work on other classic tales, and this will become a compilation of those stories.**

**Here is the list of the few classic tales I MIGHT do (honestly, it depends on you reader!):**

**- Mulan**

**- Aladdin**

**- Snow White**

**- Sleeping Beauty**

**- Little Mermaid**

**- Brave**

**- Tangled**

**- The Beauty and the Beast**

**- The Lady and the Tramp**

**- Alice in Wonderland**

**- Swan Princess**

**- Corpse Bride**

**- Pocahontas**

**- Robin Hood**

**- Peter Pan**

**- Pinnochio**

**- The Princess and the Frog**

**- Hansel and Gretel**

**- Little Red Riding Hood**

**So, what do you think?**

**Oh! And the ten reviews thingy... well, it's counting the five from when this fic was a crossover called Cinderella Elric, and it's only about chapter 3 anyway, because the second one is done and ready to be published for the Valentine's day!**

**Also, I think I'll start doing this small little game... I want to know my readers, you know? So every chapter of every story, I will ask you a small question, and I want you to answer in your review.**

**First... What's your nickname? Mine is easy, it sounds like Fox, but it's a "V" instead!**

**See you all, and I expect lots of reviews!**

**Vox**


	2. The Lady and the Tramp

**Hey there everyone! I decided I'd published another story especially for Valentine's Day! I thought this was the perfect occasion for that, and I really hope you will enjoy, because I must say this was not easy to figure everything out for this one. I mean, how do you transform a dog story into something realistic? O_O**

**Well, here's the result!**

**Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you...**

**The Lady and the Tramp**

Trisha Elric was not the average noble's wife. She wasn't a wife to begin with, as she was not married to the rich Hohenheim. It didn't mean she didn't live with her fiancé. Everyone knew that, and although at first it had been a big deal and the couple had been a little despised for breaking the traditions, they were now well respected and even liked much. If people thought they had pretty much broken all rules hat had to be broken, they were wrong. After all, at 15 years old only, not long after Trisha had moved in with her much older boyfriend, she got pregnant.

She named her first son Edward. He looked much like his father; blond radiant hair, golden eyes, and as he got older, they noticed he had the same fire in their eyes. The eyes of a rebellious spirit. As the boy reached preadolescence, that trait strongly stood out as he often refused to obey his parents' demands and did whatever he wanted. It was soon proven that he also had his father's stubbornness.

Around the same time, Trisha got her second child. Another son, whom she called Alphonse. She had heard from other housewives that getting a second child often brought trouble in the house. The first child usually got jealous of the attention the new-born was getting, and seemed to want this addition to the family to disappear, or in other cases the older child would try stealing attention by hurting the younger and getting scolded.

It never happened with Edward. Maybe it was because he was twelve years older and that he understood what had been happening. Or maybe it was simply because of his rebellious nature, that he didn't care not having attention since he didn't need it in the first place. But Trisha believed it was something else. She believed he had formed some kind of bond with the newborn as soon as he saw it. The preteen had looked at the baby, and he instantly became someone else. He was no longer careless and rebellious; he was caring and protective.

As the years passed, Trisha noticed that maybe he was _too_ protective. When the family were hosting parties or meetings and other nobles were visiting, he didn't want anyone holding his baby brother, he didn't want anyone touching him, really. He allowed greetings and introductions, but that was pretty much all.

Even now. Trisha and Hohenheim had been called to an important meeting out in the west, and they had to leave both sons alone at their home. They knew Ed considered himself responsible enough to take care of both himself and Alphonse, but the couple feared his judgments might not be the best. That's why they called Pinako, an old family friend, to watch over them for the week-end. The woman accepted, saying it would be a great opportunity for her grand-daughter to make some new friends.

The parents had to leave before she got there, but they weren't as worried as they would have been if they had had to leave their sons alone the whole three days they were gone. Surely nothing bad could happen in the span of an hour, right?

* * *

And surprisingly, they were right. Edward and Alphonse stayed put until their granny arrived. It's only then that all hell broke loose. First, Edward being the rebellious teen he was, he completely refused to listen to the old woman's orders. When she told him to wash the dishes, he ditched his duties to bring his little brother in his room to play. When she asked him, politely, to drink his milk, he practically threw the glass at her head. When she told him to let Winry play with Alphonse, he literally locked himself in his room with his baby brother. That was the last straw.

"Edward Elric!" Pinako was standing on the other side of the door, he hands balled into fists at her sides. "Get out of there this instant!"

"No way in hell am I listening to you, you old hag!" The teen's voice yelled back.

"This is not a question, Pipsqueak! It's an order!"

"I don't care about your stupid orders!"

Pinako didn't bother screaming back. She took out the keys the couple lent to her and unlocked the door, only to discover it blocked by something heavy she suspected was Ed's own body.

"Ed," she warned, her voice low and dangerous. She could almost hear the blond gulp and shiver at her tone. "Move away." He didn't. "You know as well as I do that your attitude is not helping any of us! Especially not Alphonse!"

"This has nothing to do with my attitude, old hag!" Pinako sighed of frustration, then took a deep calming breath.

"What's wrong with letting Alphonse meet a new friend?" She was going to play the Alphonse card, and like usual, she knew the boy would give in. He was always so protective of him... that often he forgot that what he did to protect him could sometimes hurt the younger child. "Why can't you let him have fun with someone his age?" There was no answer, and the old woman knew he was starting to give in. "Just let him out of there, let him play with Winry. If he doesn't want to, I'll let him go to you if he wants, all right? I promise. Just let him try at least!" That did it.

The teen scooted away from in front of the door, letting Pinako push it open. Young Alphonse was held in his arms protectively, like always, while Edward scowled at their babysitter. She shook her head disapprovingly and the teen let go of his brother, although with reluctance.

"See? It wasn't so hard."

* * *

The whole afternoon was spent in total calmness, or at least, as calm as it could get with two young children running around and a sulking teenager casting angry glances at her every passing second.

Granny Pinako went downstair to prepare diner, leaving Edward to watch over the four-year-old playing with the six-year-old. And watch he did. He didn't participate in their little games of tug and war, and hide and seek.

At the time Pinako was almost done with the cooking, Winry was running after Alphonse all over the second floor, both giggling and smiling. They were playing tag this time, and she was it. Edward couldn't help but smile at the sight, but it fell when the girl tackled his little brother to the ground, yelling a loud "Got you!". Alphonse fell hard, hitting his chin on the wooden floor. The child started crying, and it wasn't long before Pinako found herself with the boy in her arms heading to the bathroom to check on him.

Edward didn't like it. Not at all.

"Let go of him!" He explained, practically jumping on the old woman and snatching Alphonse from her arms. "Are you all right there, Al?" He asked, his voice suddenly sweet as he spoke to his brother. In the process of stealing the child from her arms, Pinako had stumbled backwards and fallen on the ground.

"Edward Elric! That's enough!" She was dead tired of his attitude. Alphonse was still crying,Winry was poking her head inside the room, looking worried, and Edward was trying to console his baby brother with hushing words and comforting words. "Give him here, Edward. Right now."

Something told the teen that something bad would happen if he didn't. Still, he hesitated. What if she dropped him? If she hurt him? What if she wanted to take him away? In the end, he slowly but surely passed the child onto the old woman's arms, pouting as he did so.

"In your room. I want you to stay put. I swear, Edward, if you don't correct that attitude of yours, nothing good will come out of it. Believe me. Now go." He stared at her, unmoving, as if debating whether or not he should listen to her. "Go!"

He ran to his room.

She locked it behind him.

* * *

Edward was not happy. Pinako had made him skip dinner, and she told him only seconds ago that she would only unlock his door in the morning. She didn't understand! She couldn't! Ed knew Alphonse was scared of the dark, but she didn't! He knew he would cry and think there were monsters under his bed and creeping through his window. But she didn't! The teen, knowing she would leave him alone surrounded by black, did the only thing that passed through his mind at that moment; he picked the lock. It was not the first time this happened, especially with Pinako. She used to babysit him when he was younger, before Al was born, so he gained a few skills from his past experiences.

He stalked into the darkness of the house, silently making his way to his little brother's room. The floor creaked beneath his steps, but not loud enough to alert the old woman who was probably reading the newspaper in the living room on the first floor. When Ed entered his brother's room, he was surprised to see Al sleeping peacefully in his bed, a small lamp dimly lightning the place enough to dissipate his little brother's fears. On the other side, Winry was tucked under the covers of the guest bed, the one the teen himself often used to stay with Al during the night.

Needless to say, he slipped beneath his sibling's comforter and fell asleep beside him.

* * *

A loud sound woke her up. She blinked rapidly, willing her sleep to go away while she tried to assess the situation. The loud sound repeated itself, and this time the girl could associate it to snoring. She looked at the bunk on the other side of the room and discovered one more occupant. It seemed like Edward had slipped in without Grandma knowing. He seemed to be hugging Al, his back facing her, so she could his golden hair sprawled on the pillow.

Winry slowly got up, stumbling a bit over the covers she held around her shoulders, and made her way to the other bed. His hair was so beautiful... It was of a pure golden color, similar to her own, but the taint and shininess made them look like a sun while hers looked more like a simple pale blond. Its silky texture was appealing and she couldn't resist touching the long strands forming a halo around the teen's head. It was so soft...

She looked over Ed's shoulders to look at Al's sleeping form, his honey mop of hair the only thing visible, the rest of his body completely covered with the blue and fluffy cloth that served as a comforter. She couldn't understand why his hair was so short. Long hair was pretty, while short hair was just... plain boring. The girl made her way to the foot of the bed, climbing on beside the cuddling siblings. Silently and as subtle as she could, she crawled her way to the pillows only stopping when she reached the younger's head. She chuckled to herself while staring at both boys, then her attention returned on the dark blond hair.

Really, why was it so short? She knew Al probably made his parents cut it, but she couldn't understand why he would want them cut. She tentatively poked at the body beneath the covers, and almost jumped when Alphonse turned over, his big bronze eyes staring at her own blue. It seemed like he had woken up when she climbed. Winry smiled , and he returned it.

"Why do you keep your hair short, Al?" She whispered, trying not to wake the teen. The younger boy only looked at her quizzically, as if he never once thought about _not_ cutting it. "It should be longer," she added. Alphonse was taken by surprise as she suddenly pulled his hair, hurting him and making him cry. Wrong move.

Edward bolted upright, waking up from his peaceful slumber, as soon as the sound reached his ears. Al was crying beside him, trying to fight off Winry who was still pulling the boy's locks.

"It should be longer! Long hair are pretty!" She exclaimed, not caring about staying silent now that the oldest boy was awake. Said boy didn't waste a second more and pushed Winry off the bed and away from his baby brother.

"What do you think you're doing!?" He all but screamed. He was furious, how did she dare hurt Alphonse!? The four-year-old was clutching his arm, although he did not stop his crying. Winry joined him when she fell on her butt beside the bed, and it all became a cacophony of bawling.

"What the hell is happening here!?" Pinako demanded as she slammed the door open. Edward himself didn't fully comprehend the situation; all he knew for sure was that Winry had hurt Alphonse. He didn't have time to voice his thoughts, Winry having taken advantage – perhaps unintentionally – of his own shock.

"He pushed me down the bed! It hurts!" She wailed as she pointed a finger in the teen's direction. He couldn't really defend himself at this point, seeing as it was the truth, whether he liked it or not. He _did_ push her off the bed. He still wanted to try though, he couldn't let her get away with that and bump everything on his shoulders.

"She was hurting Al! She made him cry and pulls his hair!"

"Enough, Edward!" Pinako helped her granddaughter up, then turned back to the teen, an angry look in her eyes. "You're being ridiculous! You think it's a good enough reason to be violent toward everyone!? It was only child play, and you know it!"

"But she was hurting him!"

"You know it was not intentional, Ed!" It couldn't keep up this way. Edward was getting way too violent, way too overprotective. "Go back to your room." She meant it as a finality. She did not want to hear anything else from this point on. They both stared each other down, and even though Pinako was smaller than the teen, her glare was definitely as strong as his.

"No." He what? He replied to her? He actually refused to listen to her? _Again?_ "I'm staying here with Al," he elaborated.

"Edward." A warning. He made no move to listen to her and only hugged his baby brother tighter. "Go back to your room this instant. And Alphonse stays here."

"No way in hell am I letting Al alone with _her_!" His golden eyes darted to the girl, sniffling and hiding behind her grandmother, then back to the old woman.

"This is an order. Go to your room NOW!"

"I'm not listening to you, old hag!"

"What did you just called me, bean-sprout?"

"I'm not a bean-sprout, you guppy geezer!"

"Enough!" She stomped over to the bed, angry shadows cast over her eyes. This did not look good. "You hot-headed little runt!" She grabbed his arm and, with surprisingly lots of strength, forcefully dragged him out the room. Alphonse instantly let go of Ed, scared of the consequences. "You ought to cool your head down, boy!" She made her way to the front door and pushed him out of the house, more furious than she'd ever been. "I don't want to see you until you've calmed down! You better show up ready to apologize, kid, because I'm not going to let you in otherwise, got that!?" She yelled, unashamed of possibly waking up neighbors, then slammed the door and locked it behind her.

At that time, Ed was grateful to be still in his day clothes and not in pajama.

* * *

The teen walked angrily on the town's streets, too caught in his thoughts to notice his surroundings. How dare she!? The old hag was there to watch over them, not tear him away from Al, and certainly not to kick him out of the house in the middle of the night! He was a noble, damn it! He shouldn't even have had to be watched over in the first place! It was all so absurd! Why couldn't she understand that Al was all he cared for? That he shouldn't – scratch that – _couldn't_ leave him alone and let him get hurt? How dare she just come into his life and in a single day try to change it for her own benefit!? It was all unfair! He didn't need this, he didn't want this to happen!

Before he knew it, the Ed had left the rich district he lived in and was now wandering in the dark back alleys of downtown. Tall apartment buildings surrounded him, casting shadows and blocking the moon's pale ray of light. The floor was dirtied with trash and the teen could see a cat tail slipping out of a fallen metal trash bin, the animal probably trying to find salvageable food. The silence was eerie, and for the first time Edward noticed how alone he was at the moment. He started to grow worried. Sure, he knew how to fight, he was most definitely not a weak coward, and he _had_ had private martial arts lessons when he was younger. He was even proud to say that he was pretty good.

Footsteps echoed in the alley, announcing the approach of several people. They stood at on extremity, three guys looking like street rats searching for eatable shits. However, what they were really searching for was fun, and as their eyes fell upon the blond rich kid alone on their territory, they believed they had found it. The man who appeared to be their leader, standing between the other two, smirked and walked a few steps toward Edward, a strange light in his eyes.

"What d'ya say, guys?" He asked to his... friends? More like subordinates. The one who was holding a metal pipe over his shoulder shifted his weighed to his other leg before spitting on the ground beside him.

"I say he looks pretty good. Rich kid, ain't he?" He chuckled, squinting his eyes as he looked at Edward more thoroughly. "Heh, whaddya see, he looks like a babe!"

The other beside him flashed a huge grin, an idea popping in his head. "Boss, wanna go at it?"

The leader mirrored his comrade's grin, if not more devilish, before licking his lips in anticipation. "Let's do him."

Edward didn't wait. He picked up the trash can, ignoring the cat suddenly jumping out of it in fright, and threw it at the gang. This caused a diversion, surprising them all, and he used this moment of lack of reaction to sprint down the alley, making a turn to the right as soon as he reached an intersection.

He knew his little trick wouldn't have stopped them, but he was fairly disappointed when he noticed that the three of them were hot on his trail, closing in rather rapidly. The blond continued running, jumping over random planks of wood and overturned bins, hoping that he would lose at least one of them. And to his relief, he did. It was good.

The teen turned another corner, but instead of continuing running, he instantly pressed his back to the wall and waited for his attackers to round up the corner. The first one flew past him without even noticing, and Edward just let him be, focusing instead on the one following behind, who was the one with the metal pipe. The man ran right behind his acolyte, but the blonde was ready and calculating his timing, because as soon as the gangster turned, he fell face first in the dirt, letting go of his weapon in the process. Edward didn't waste any time, taking said pipe and planning on using it to knock the man out.

What he didn't expect was for the third man, whom Ed believed had been left behind long ago, to arrive behind him and push him hard against the wall. He snatched the metal instrument from him and threw it back to his friend. It didn't take long for the boss to come back, having heard the commotion going on _behind_ him. When he saw the rich kid solidly pinned, he snorted and walked over to him.

Ed was turned over so he faced the three men, two of which held his arms away from his body. The boss stood in front, looking all high and mighty with his ridiculous victorious grin. With his dirty hands, he cupped the teen's chin and tilted the blond's head every side as if inspecting him.

"Sure look good. Could pass for a babe, you're right, pal." His grin widened and his eyes narrowed as he looked over Edward's body. "Yeah, let's do him, guys. I'm in for a round."

Edward struggled at that. He had an idea what they were talking about, and he didn't like this one bit. He tried pulling and pushing with his arms, he tried kicking with his legs, but nothing seemed to loosen the gangsters' grip on him. He started panicking when the leader licked his lips and started lifting Ed's shirt, ready for some action.

* * *

The man had spent another day pointlessly searching for a new apartment. He was sick and tired of the one he was currently living in. It was dirty, the cold night wind always found it's way inside and water from the rain flooded his floor most often than not. Also, he had the most annoying neighbors, beside his apartment an old couple always arguing and screaming, above a family with young children running anytime in the day and evening, and the night he could hear the love-making of their parents. Roy still wondered how they never woken their children.

Most of his evenings and nights were spent at a local restaurant, which also served as a bar. He was not a costumer though; he worked there. No, seriously, he had good friends there, and the pay was pretty good, _and_ he liked it. Why change?

He was precisely on his way there when he heard a scream coming from an alley. He didn't think much of it; he was living downtown, after all. He could make out some words from the obviously furious yelling, most of it cursing and threats. But then he heard what could have possibly been a punch following closely by a grunt.

Well, now that was a bit curious. A fight, most probably. It didn't surprise him. At the same time, though, it didn't seem like much of a fight, there was no sound to make him believe the other one was fighting back. Maybe it was a beating. Roy just hoped he wasn't about to involve himself in a gang fight.

He spied at a dark corner, and was frozen in place. He was expecting to see two tough guys fighting each other, but what he saw was three men holding a teenager down and suspiciously removing his shirt.

"Hurry up, boss," one of them hissed while he struggled to keep the boy pinned to the wall. The leader shook his head with a sick smile on his punchable face.

"No hurry. Night's long!" He broke out laughing, then proceeded to remove his gloves. The third man held the teenager with a single hand, and while his boss worked on his own belt, he worked on the boy's pants. And Roy understood.

He didn't even know why he had decided to take a look in the first place. Now he didn't even know what had happened until he pushed the boss to the ground and punched him repeatedly in the face, knocking him out cold. The one with a metal pipe came charging on him, and using his opponent's careless run to his advantage, he slipped to the side on the last second and held out his leg to trip the man over. Once one the ground, Roy gave him a few good kicks at his ribs then crouched beside him. He took a hold of the gangster's hair, pulling his head back a bit, before slamming it _hard_ on the ground. He was out like a candle.

When he turned to take on the last enemy, he saw the blond elbow his attacker in the stomach, then turned around, grand the older man's head with both hands and brought it down to meet his knee. Needless to say, the remaining criminal collapsed to the ground, joining his comrades in la-la-land.

Both teenager and man stared at each other for a while, then the blond shifted embarrassingly and turned around. Roy looked perplexedly at him before noticing the boy was actually setting his pants back on correctly. He picked up a belt on the ground and tied it tight around his waist.

"Thank you," he muttered, as if the words themselves were the hardest things in his life. They stood there awkwardly for a long while, then Roy decided that enough was enough. They had to get on with this.

He cleared his throat and took a small step towards the teen, holding out his hand. "My name is Roy Mustang." As a result the blond turned around and shook his hand shily.

"Edward Elric." At that moment, Ed was glad to have his mother's last name; everyone knew Hohenheim as the family head. He didn't want any unwanted attention that his father's name could bring him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Roy said back, his small smile back in place. He was glad, the teen didn't seem too fazed by what had almost happened to him. Maybe he didn't even fully realized it yet.

"Same," was all the answer he received. Roy took the time to take a better look at the boy, and was completely stunned by his eyes. So golden... It matched perfectly with his hair, surprisingly long and swung in a braid behind his back. A few strands stood rebellious, probably because of the recent events. He was a bit small, but he was what, fourteen years old? It was not really surprising.

Ed was also lost in his scrutinizing of his savior's appearance. His onyx eyes were in harmony with his night-like mop of hair, that looked quite silky and soft by the way, and his pale skin that seemed to glow in the ray of moonlight that managed to passed between the tall buildings around them.

Then, out of nowhere, a loud growl resounded in the alley. Ed's stomach decided it wanted to also get acquainted with this handsome stranger. The only answer was a chuckled from said man, that soon turned into a full-out laugh. Ed couldn't help himself; he joined into this symphony with his own sniggering.

* * *

The pair found themselves in the abandoned street behind a really busy bar only a few minutes after having recovered from their bout of cracking up. Edward had briefly explained his situation and Roy decided that it wouldn't hurt to feed the attractive young man. He had learned not long ago that, no, Ed was not fourteen years old, he was sixteen – almost seventeen – and it allowed the oldest to look at him differently. Sure, he was only two years older, it was no big deal, but somehow he couldn't help but feel... a little lured by him. And his personality proved to be as fiery as his looks.

They entered the restaurant by the back door, Ed following closely behind Roy and asking in whispers if they really should do this.

"It's fine, Edward, I work here", was his only answer, and it was enough to reassure the blond.

Edward met with Havoc and Breda, two friends of Roy's working at the same place. Breda was one of the cooks – the chef, actually – and Jean was a waiter. Together, they worked on preparing food for the pair, and seeing as it was a great night outside, they convinced them to eat in privacy under the stars.

The meal was spent slowly and pleasantly, both men getting to know each other better. Roy learned that Ed didn't like milk, _hated_ would be more appropriated. He also learned hat he had a little brother he cared for with all his might, twelve years younger yet undeniably close to each other. It wasn't long before Ed slipped up and let his savior know of his noble status, not that he wasn't suspecting anything in the first place, but learning that the teen you just saved was actually _Hohenheim's son_, that came up as quite a shock.

He also learned that the blond was prone to take any challenge head on, and he used this at his advantage to get him to drink a little fine wine by telling him he didn't dare because he was underage. He was quite pleased with the results, to say the least. Ed's cheeks had taken a light pink tinge, and his eyes seemed a little bit brighter and reflected the sky's stars. It loosened him a little, getting him to talk more and be a lot less defensive about everything. He was so attractive...

Jean was the first one to notice it, and it didn't take long for Breda to catch up either. That glimmer in Roy's eyes whenever he looked at the younger man... There was no denying it! They had to wonder if Mustang himself had noticed it yet, though, because he didn't seem to make any move on the newcomer. Surely he couldn't be blind to his own feelings, right? They looked at each other, then back at the pair sitting outside. They stared intently and couldn't help smirking when Roy's eyes widened while he looked at Edward for an extended period of time, accompanied by a blush painting his pale skin. So he finally noticed, huh? Maybe their friend deserved a night off... for a date!

* * *

The sun's rays caressed the blond's face. The teen grunted to himself and shied his eyes away from the light with his arm, but it was too late. He was awake now. He slowly sat up, looking blearily at his surroundings, before remembering the events of the previous night. He had eaten at Roy's workplace, then they had head out for a walk out of town. They only stopped at the top of the hill overlooking most of the town, where they had talked some more and... spent the night together. Ed's cheeks flushed at the memory.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a half-sleeping raven-haired man when said person sat up behind him and held him close to his chest, planting small kisses in the crook of his neck.

"Good morning, Roy," Ed whispered, as if afraid to break the peaceful atmosphere that came with the rising sun.

"Hey, gorgeous. Slept well?" A silent chuckle.

"Could have slept more." Ed felt lips curled up in a smile on his skin, and it made him shiver a little.

"You should put on your coat, you look like you're freezing," Roy breathed in his neck, and more goose-bumps appeared on his skin. He didn't dare answer, but it seemed like his new-found lover could see right through him. "Or not. I'm the one making you react that, way, am I?"

"Whatever, sleepy-head," Ed muttered affectionately as he pushed himself up on his feet. He stood unmoving, watching the seemingly never-ending nature at the foot of the hill. He didn't see Roy get up, but he felt his warmth when he came to stand beside him.

"Beautiful, isn't?" A nod. The silent stretched, but it was a comfortable one. They didn't need to say anything. Still, Roy had something in his mind. "Have you... ever considered setting foot out there? To be free?" His eyes didn't leave the scenery, and Ed had to hum show his agreement. "What do you say, Ed? I know you don't like aristocracy. You hate being a high noble's son. You want to be free. And so do I... So, what do you think if... we set out together? Just the two of us?" He was so sure of himself that when he looked back at his lover after a long moment of silence, he internally panicked. Ed looked saddened, as if... as if he didn't want to go... "Ed?" The blond slowly turned his head to the other side of the hill, where he could see the town separated by districts. His gaze settled in the Central district, where his house was located, and a dejected smile graced the teen's lips.

"But who will watch over my little brother?"

And then Roy understood that he couldn't convince him of going. Not yet.

* * *

It wouldn't stop him from being with Ed. At all. He was already planning on taking him on another date soon. But for now, they agreed to walk back o the city, so Roy could accompany his lover back to his home. Ed had to come back, and he knew that Pinako had to be worried by now, even though she would probably yell at him as soon as he entered the house.

However, as they passed by one of the few abandoned buildings on the outskirts of town, they witnessed two kids setting the apartment on fire. Roy was the first one to notice, and as soon as he did, he called out to them almost in an aggressive way. The kids ran away as soon as they'd been found out. The couple didn't waster any more time. They did their best putting out the fire, but it only grew bigger and bigger until they couldn't take care of it anymore.

Soon, the police had arrived, and one of them ordered his comrades to arrest the couple. They didn't linger there. Both Ed and Roy started running in the opposite directions, and even if the whole situation was kind of really serious, they couldn't help but laugh at their little adventure. Whatever they did, Ed always found it so fun being with Roy...

He tripped. Edward tripped, and when he tried to get back up, one of the cops had pined him down and put shackles around his wrists. And Roy just continued running up ahead, not even looking behind him when his lover got captured.

* * *

The police officer in charge of the interrogation was called Kimblee, and he was insistent on demanding truthful answers while his co-worker looked into the files to verify Edward's identity. The teen didn't bother with lying. What was the point? They had done nothing wrong. Even so, Kimbly didn't let up the questions, feeling certain that the blond was making up everything.

It didn't take long for them to find out that their suspect was actually Hohenheim's son, and they soon released him.

It didn't make Ed less mad.

He was mad for being Hohenhaim's son. He was mad at having been treated like some pitiful lying criminal. He was mad at the prisoner he had been locked with for the first hour of his trip to the police station as soon as said woman had told him about a very handsome guy called Roy Mustang who apparently chased skirts around and let her up after a one-night stand. And he was mad at Roy for leaving him behind.

To top it all off, Pinako had scolded him for having wandered all night long _downtown of all places_, and given him chores to occupy his whole day. She even forbid him to talk to Alphonse and when curfew time came, she locked him in his room once again. It was so pointless. His parents and her knew that he could get out anyway; he could pick the lock without even thinking about it. He had done it so many times...

He was about to work on it that night, a little past eleven o'clock, when a knock on his window (how cliché) stopped him in his tracks. He waited a bit, thinking he had imagined it, then went back to his task. The knocking came again, and this time Edward walked skeptically towards his drawn curtains. He opened them cautiously, as if something could just jump in from outside and attack him.

To his surprise, something – or, more accurately, someone – _did_ slipped in his room. The teen could only stare wide-eyed at the intruder, before his shock turned into anger as he recognized the identity of the burglar.

Roy Mustang.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Edward did his best to _not_ yell and awake the whole house. He was pretty sure he had never given his address to the older man! And who did he think he was? Barging in on him like that! No. Nope. That was not cool. Not at all.

"Why, I came to see you, of course," his... lover? Answered in a whisper, a smirk that the teen wanted to punch into oblivion in place. How did he dare come see him, _climbing a two-story house_, the same day he had _abandoned him_ to the police!?

"This is deadly serious, Roy. And how did you know where to find me, and _which _window led to _my_ bedroom?" He had to admit that he was curious to know the answer to that question. However, all he received was a small shrug.

"I've got my sources." Yup. That was not funny at all. Completely infuriating.

"Oh, so now you sneak in your one-night stands in the middle of the night!?" Edward almost yelled this one, and he had to forced himself to be more discreet. He did _not_ want Pinako to think he had let a thief in. "Why the hell did you come in the first place?"

"I wanted to see you. To talk to you. To... make sure you were alright." The blond couldn't help but snort.

"Why do you care _now?_" There was disdain in his voice, and there was no way Roy had missed it. The oldest of the two raised his eyebrow at the tone, then frowned when he noticed Edward was serious and that this was no joke.

"What do you mean?" Oh, how he wanted to hit him!

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Roy!" His voice built up in volume and with a shush from the black-haired man, he took a deep breath before continuing, more subtly though still with venom. "You left me behind this morning. I fell, they caught me, and you continued to run without even looking back at me." His golden eyes burned the onyx ones, but they didn't falter one bit as Roy listened.

"I didn't know. I just kept running, I skid a turner, and when I turned to talk to you you had disappeared. I traced back my steps to find the cops retiring to their car and starting the engine. I didn't know if you had got caught or if we had been separated at some point. The only way I had to know was to find you. And now I did." The blond had stayed silent during the explanation, and he couldn't help but feel bad at having judged his lover so fast. A random thought crossed his mind, though, and his anger from earlier turned into confusion and... hurt? Yes, he felt hurt.

"I got caught." It was enough information, right? "Got brought to a cell. Guess who I met?" Roy looked at him skeptically, as if wondering where the conversation was heading. "A no-name woman." The man rose an eyebrow at this statement, a bit lost. With a gulp, Edward let his eyes wander to anywhere but Roy, and they ended up settled on the carped floor. "She said she knew you..." He took a calming breath before adding "and that many others did too."

Realization dawned on Roy. So Ed knew. Ed knew he was a skirt-chaser, going around fucking girls he didn't even know the names of. Well, it would only be a matter of time before he had found out, and anyway, why did it matter? It was not like their relationship would change because of that, right? After all, they did kind of spent a wonderful... night...

Shit. Now he understood. What they had done the night before... was exactly like a one-night stand. No wonder Ed looked surprised to see him back. Maybe he was even angry that he had tried to contact again after that. But, somehow, Roy didn't want this to be a one-night stand. He hadn't even thought of it that way. He really had thought that this was for real, that this would last...

"Why... did we even do that yesterday?" The teen's voice was so small that he might have imagined it. He answered anyway, because he knew he didn't.

"Because we wanted to. Both of us." What was there to say more? It was true.

"Then what about the whole evening before that? And the morning that followed? And..." Edward hesitated, before locking his fiery eyes with Roy's. "What about that proposition?" He held up his fist to his chest, with some kind of light in his eyes. He continued with a murmur. "What about the feelings?"

Roy didn't know what to answer. He remembered the time he spent with the small blond, and lost in his thoughts – in his feelings – he didn't noticed what was happening until he felt a soft and delicious warmth on his lips. He had leaned down and kissed Ed, and to his utmost happiness, the teen was kissing back. They broke it a few seconds later – seconds that felt like minutes to them but still had ended too soon – but only a few millimeters of air acted as a wall between their bodies.

"They were all real," Roy said huskily. It sent shivers down and up Ed's spine, and made his heart make a three-sixty flip. All real.

"I like the sound of that," he responded in a low and sexy voice before leaning in for another, though more heated, kiss.

Things could not go their way, however, as a loud sound came from the staircase. It was followed by a hiss and some cussing, and instantly Ed knew this couldn't be anyone from his family. The only person in the house was them, Winry, Al and Pinako. It couldn't be the children, that was for sure, and the old hag never cussed, not for something stupid as hitting her shin on a step.

Roy didn't waste any second. He slipped back through the window, knowing Ed's door was locked, and went for the front door. Meanwhile, Ed hurriedly tried to pick his lock, somehow feeling very very uneasy and very very panicky. His hands were strangely trembling and he dropped the prick a few times before finally being successful. As soon as he opened his bedroom door, he heard his little brother cry, and that sent him in fast forward, sprinting down the hall to Alphonse's room.

The sight was something to behold. Winry was hugging a terrorized Alphonse in her arms, both cuddled in the corner of one bed and trying to hide under the covers. On the other side of the room, Roy was struggling on pinning the burglar on the ground. He looked to be having some difficulties, and when he heard Ed enter, he kind of lost his focus. His opponent, using the distraction, flipped them over so he was now straddling the black-haired man's chest.

Edward's heart sank when he saw the criminal use his metal pipe – one he somehow recognized from a trip downtown only a day ago – and bring it down on his lover's head. And Roy stopped moving.

His instincts, or rather, his rage, kicked in and the blond rushed with a throat-ripping scream at the enemy. He caught him completely off-guard, but it didn't stop the man from trying to land a blow on the teen with his favored weapon. However, Ed had seen through his moves and took a hold of the pipe in mid-swing, stripping it out of the burglar's hands.

It all happened so fast. The thief shoved him toward the still unconscious Roy and ran away not a second later. When Ed managed to stand back up, the door burst open to a very angry and annoyed Pinako.

The old woman attitude changed instantly when she saw Roy's body collapsed on the floor, and Ed was relieved to see that she wasn't angry at him anymore. It didn't last long, though, because as soon as she saw the scene, she jumped to conclusions. Conclusions Ed didn't like.

Pinako called the police station, completely ignoring the teen's tries at giving her an explanation. A few minutes later, after his many failed attempts of making her understand the reality and not whatever she thought, Kimblee came strolling in. Soon after, his men took Roy away.

* * *

"What do you mean, a thief?" Hohenheim asked, calm like always. It seemed as if nothing ever scared him or made him the tiny bit worried. "Ed got involved?" Hearing only one side of the conversation, Trisha couldn't help but worry. What did he mean? "Everything's fine, then." How could he be so calm? What had happened?

As soon as he got off the phone, she asked him.

"It seems like a thief broke into our house last night. Fortunately, Ed was able to intercept him and knocked him out, so the police was able to arrest the criminal." He answered with a very posed voice.

"How does that make everything fine? Ed could have gotten hurt! Did you even think of asking Pinako if he was fine?" Her fiancé chuckled a bit while shaking his head.

"Don't worry, she told me all that was to be known. Ed didn't get a scratch. Let's just go back home."

And they did. As soon as they arrived, they were warmly welcomed by the family, and even more so by Alphonse who literally ran in Trisha's arms. She held him up and landed lots of butterfly kisses on his cheeks and nose. That always made him giggle.

Ed's welcome wasn't as... welcoming, though. He was scowling all the time, often glaring at Pinako like when she had scolded him. During supper, he didn't touch his plate at all and kept out of the conversation, which was all about him bringing the thief own. It was so unfair...

"Ed," Hohenheim spoke up, his golden gaze settling on the sulking teen, "I'm very proud of you."

"Dad," he tried to warn, but it was ignored.

"I'm glad we made you take martial art classes, it probably helped you a lot in your fight. What was it like, by the way? Care giving us details?" His laugh boomed in the house, and it only served to annoy Ed even further. "I'll have to brag to everyone about this!"

"Dad! You don't understand!" He finally stopped laughing to look at his son more seriously. "I didn't knock any thief, okay?"

"Then what the hell do you call what you did?" The teen sighed resignedly and proceeded to tell the tale of his own point of view, only starting when Roy came to visit, overlooking the details of their argument and the private moment they had soon after.

"I see," Hohenheim said after having heard the whole story. Edward was relieved, because for once everyone had stopped drawing hypothesis and _finally_ listened to him. "I guess we owe this friend of yours, don't we? Shall we take a trip to the police station?"

* * *

About a month had passed since that night. Roy often visited, a few times a week, really, and he got to know Ed's family better. He was undeniably happy to be one of the few Edward let near his little brother without making a fuss over it. The teen's parents hadn't had any meeting since then, but it wouldn't last.

They had one that week-end. They still didn't want to leave Ed alone with Al. A few hours would be fine, a day, even, but not three whole days. So they called for a babysitter once again.

When they had told Ed, he had groaned in repulsion. Now, though, he was completely content with his parents' choice.

Alphonse was playing with toy cars on the carpeted floor of the living room, giggling to himself as he made weird noise to accompany his game-play. Ed was lying on the couch with the most comfortable pillow that could be; his boyfriend. They were both completely relaxed, and their bodies melted in one another while Roy brushed the blond's long hair with the fingers of a hand. His other arm was wrapped around the teen's torso. All the while, Edward was reading a school book, studying for an upcoming exam. They didn't talk. They didn't _need_ to talk. Once in a while, Edward would break the silence to ask a question or two to the older man about something he didn't quite understand, but that was pretty much it.

Roy started rubbing Ed's side delicately with his arm wrapped around the teen. He leaned down to kiss at the exposed neck of his lover, making him sigh in delight. He felt the the blond relax even more in his arms, and he used that opportunity to tilt the boy's head upward very gently. Their lips met, and it didn't take long for Edward to forget all about his book, his study and his exam. He turned around in Roy's arms, circling his arms behind his boyfriend's neck. Their lips met again, with this time the addition of their tongues. Warm big hands slowly explored his back and sides, then up his chest, sliding under the teen's shirt. The blond moaned in the kiss when a finger brushed a sensitive nipple.

It seemed as if his own voice startled him, because as soon as he let out a sound, Edward flinched and backed off suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked huskily, a bit worried he had done something bad.

"We can't, Roy." Well, that was new.

"Why?" Really, why? They went a lot further than that the very first day they met, and plenty of times after that, so what was wrong doing it now?

"Not in front of the child."

"..."

"I'm serious."

"I know you are, but-"

"But what?" It was almost insulted, and it kind of make Roy want to laugh. Edward was as defensive about his height as he was about his little brother.

"I was just not expecting that, is all." He leaned in and stole a chaste kiss from the teen. "Go put him to sleep, then. I think it's time for his nap, anyway." And a thought occurred to him at that moment, though he did not say it out loud.

"And after that, it will be _our_ nap time," the teen whispered in his ear, grinding his clothed erection against Roy's.

Yes, Edward Elric could now say that he _loved_ being babysat.

* * *

**Happy Valentine's Day! I really hope you liked this story, and if you did, please, _please_, leave a review to let me know. Really, this one was not easy to write, and it would make me so happy to know what others think of it!**

**I'm kind of tired right now. I wanted to publish it this morning, but I hadn't finished it. During the day I had chores and work to do, so I could only finish it, like, _now_, so I hope you don't mind... Near midnight... I almost missed Valentine's day! TT_TT**

**Anyway, the list of other classics are in the first chapter. If you have anything to add, tell me and I'll gladly do so. If you have any plot idea for one of them, don't hesitate to let me know either! It would be my pleasure to work with your ideas!**

**Thanks for reading, and again.**

**As for the game... What's your favourite color? Mine is red ;P My hair is dark red by the way, almost like wine, and really, who does not like red? Even Ed likes it!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! x3**

**See you when I get to ten reviews!**

**Vox**


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